Galway in Days Gone By
Galway In Days Gone By
1919
Release the prisoners
A largely-attended meeting was held in the Town Hall, Galway, on Sunday, to demand the release of the Irish political prisoners.
Mr. S. M. O’Mara, Mayor of Limerick, who had been announced as principal speaker, was unavoidably absent, and his place was taken by his brother, Mr. James O’Mara, M.P. for South Kilkenny.
Mr. L. E. O’Dea, solr., who presided, said they assembled to protest against the action of the Government in keeping some of the bravest Irishmen from their homes and families and locked in prisons without charge or trial.
Their reason for not bringing them to trial was that they had no charge against them. Mr. Lloyd George and Mr. Shortt brought the lying charge against them that they were engaged in a German plot (applause).
Lord French and Mr Shortt announced that fact immediately after taking up their positions as lord Lieutenant and Chief Secretary.
They persisted in that lie in the House of Commons, and circulated it throughout England and the world.
Roads funding
Mr. Thomas Ruane (Chairman) presided at the quarterly meeting of the Galway District Council on Saturday, at which the following report was submitted by Mr. M. J. Kennedy, Co. Surveyor, and adopted:-
“Considering the inclemency of the weather and the heavy traffic during the past months the roads in your district are in fair order.
The contractors have given fair attention to repairs and the material at their disposal has been used to advantage. The roads in the hands of the County Surveyor have also been looked after and are in repair with the exception of the road from Galway to Tuam, which owing to labour difficulties, has not been as well maintained as I would wish.
However, these difficulties have now been got over and work on this road is proceeding in a satisfactory manner. I have no application for special works.
My estimate for road maintenance in your district for the year ending the 31st March, 1929, is as follows:- Main Roads, £3,990; district roads, £3,140.”
1944
Water supply threat
The mouth of “The Friars’ Cut” – the narrow passage linking Lough Corrib with the River Corrib – was silting up and threatening to constitute a danger to the city water supply, Mr. J. Redington, P.C., told the Galway Corporation on Thursday.
In the past, he said, boats had kept the Cut cleared, but few boats used the Cut now and he was afraid that the silting would eventually interfere with the drainage of water from the lake into the river. He thought that the County Council should take the matter into consideration.
Mr. C. I. O’Flynn, Co. Manager, said that the County Council had nothing to do with drainage. His Worship the Mayor, Ald. J. F. Costello, P.C., who presided, agreed that the Cut was silting up.
Planning a new city
“Whoever gets the job is going to leave a lasting mark on the character of the city,” said Mr. C. I. O’Flynn, Co. Manager, at Thursday’s meeting of the Galway Corporation, when speaking of the desirability of employing the best man available for the planning of the future of Galway.
“The whole future of Galway will depend on his work,” said Mr O’Flynn, “and this is a matter in which we cannot consider the economy as of primary importance.”
The discussion arose when Ald. Owens asked when would the Corporation have an opportunity to discuss the provision of a fair green in the city.
The Co. Manager said that the discussion might be left over until they had got sketch plans from the Town Planner whom he proposed to engage.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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1923
Gloom after war
The special correspondent of the “Independent”, who has been writing of the aftermath of civil war in the West, notes that a feeling of apathy, due to the uncertainty of events, exists amongst the sorely-tried people of Connemara; that politics are referred to only with disgust and that not more than fifty per cent. of the people would vote at a general election; that poverty and unemployment are rife, and there is a growing tendency towards emigration; and that there are bitter complaints of the huge impost of rates and taxes.
It is only too true that there is enough of material for the pessimist to brood over, and that a feeling of gloom permeates country towns. But it is a poor tribute to patriotism that has survived such horrors to encourage this gloom.
It is the duty of all of us to get this pessimism out of the national body and to rid ourselves of the notion that we have not enough Christianity and moral sense left to restore our people to cheerful and ordered progress and industry.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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1923
Peace negotiations
As we go to press, An Dáil is discussing the Peace negotiations between the Government and Mr. de Valera. It was announced on Wednesday for the first time that such negotiations were begun following Mr. de Valera’s “cease fire” proclamation of April 27, and that by the 30th of the month Senators Andrew Jameson and James Douglas were asked by him to discuss proposals.
They said it was for the Government to discuss; they could only confer. Into the ensuring conferences the Government declined to enter personally, but on May 3 the senators placed before Mr. de Valera the Cabinet’s terms, which were that future issues should be decided by the majority vote of the elected representatives of the people, and that as a corollary and a preliminary to the release of prisoners, all lethal weapons should be in the custody and control of the Executive Government.
Mr. de Valera relied to this on May 7 with a document in which he agreed to majority rule and control of arms, but added that arms should be stored in a suitable building in each province under armed Republican guard until after the elections in September, that the oath should not be made a test in the councils of the nation, and that all political prisoners should be released immediately on the signing of this agreement.
“You have brought back to us,” wrote President Cosgrave, “not an acceptance of our conditions, but a long and wordy document inviting debate where none is possible”.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
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1923
State of the parties
Speculation as to parties after the next Irish elections is exceedingly interesting, especially in view of the enlarged franchise.
In Dublin, the view appears to be held by a number of people that Labour will make a great bid for power.
Dublin, however, has a curiously insular habit of thought where matters that concern all Ireland and in which Ireland has a say are concerned. We hope this insularity will rapidly disappear under the new conditions.
The country as a whole is backing the Farmers’ Party, and has not the smallest doubt that it will be the strongest combination in the next Dáil, and that it will oust the purely political parties, the one because it has resorted to force, the other because it has been compelled to use force to supress force, and the Labour Party because Ireland feels that at the back of its policy lurks the danger of Communism.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App
Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.
Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite HERE.
Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.
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